The present disclosure relates to transportation of people, equipment and/or supplies over harsh terrains. More particularly, it relates to transportable enclosed structures suitable for towing over various terrains, such as ice, snow, marsh, wetlands, etc.
Many winter activities entail transportation over ice and/or snow. One highly popular example is ice fishing; ice fishermen often travel on vehicles suited for traversing ice and snow in order to reach their desired ice fishing destination. Vehicles useful for longer distance trips over ice and snow (e.g., snow-covered ice) include, for example, snowmobiles and ATVs. In these and other scenarios, the ice fishermen will oftentimes have equipment and supplies they wish to transport to the destination. To meet this need, ice sleds are commonly available, and are generally adapted to be towed behind the snowmobile or ATV. Similarly, ice fish houses can be designed for towing across snow/ice (e.g., sliders or runners are fastened to the bottom of the ice fish house).
A snowmobile, ATV and the like can be viable for transporting one or perhaps two people, towing a small number of relatively small items in an ice sled. In many situations, however, this arrangement is less than optimal. Snowmobiles and ATVs offer little protection against harsh winter elements, and can become quite uncomfortable when ridden for long distances. Moreover, only a few items can be towed by the snowmobile or ATV in the ice sled.
More recently, large scale powered vehicles have been developed, capable of comfortably transporting multiple people over ice and snow. In particular, a highly popular ice and snow recreational vehicle is available under the trade name SNOBEAR™ from SnoBear USA, LLP. The SNOBEAR vehicle can seat a large number of passengers, and includes various amenities desired by ice fishermen. The SNOBEAR vehicle employs a powered track drive system for propelling over snow and ice, along with front skis for steering. An even larger ice and snow vehicle is also available from SnoBear USA, LLP under the trade name THE GRIZZ™. Even with the increased occupancy and storage available with these and similar vehicles, some users desire even more space. While a conventional ice sled could be used, passengers cannot ride in the ice sled and only minimal storage space is provided. Further, ice sleds and the like are not designed to smoothly travel behind a large scale ice and snow vehicle.
In light of the above, a need exits for a trailer capable of transporting multiple people and/or their supplies in an enclosed environment and appropriate for towing across snow and ice, as well as other harsh terrains such as marshes or wetlands.